City news in 250 words

ARMED ROBBERS raided a Chorlton pub on Monday. Staff were locking up at the Bowling Green Hotel on Brookburn Road at around 3am, when the men threatened them with guns. A barman was hit in the face with the gun and his two women colleagues were slapped. The robbers smashed their way into an office and stole a quantity of cash before fleeing.

PLANS FOR A £20M BMX TRACK could get underway as early as next month. The 4,500 seat facility is to be located close to the Velodrome. Town hall chiefs have already consulted residents and hope the complex will be completed in time to become a training base for the 2012 London Olympics. The centre was originally promised by the government as a compensatition for the scrapped supercasino.

THE HOLE IN THE ROAD which appeared twice in Didsbury in the space of a few weeks, is reportedly a blast from the past. Photographs from Didsbury Library reveal a hole in the same spot almost 100 years ago. The original hole in 1914, is believed to have been caused by a sewer collapse. Today's hole was caused by a collapsed drain.

MANCHESTER'S FIRST FREE OPEN-AIR CINEMA will show its first film next Thursday. The Screenfields film fest begins in Hardman Square with The Duchess, starring Keira Knightley, on Thursday 11 June at 9pm and a different movie every Thursday thereafter, weather permitting. Live sport, prom nights and family entertainment will also be shown on the 16ft by 10ft screen.

This 'n' That wisdom*:Real leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determination

*Taken from the free calendar available at This 'n' That, Soap Street, Northern Quarter. Those curry masters are so very, very sagacious. How does this wisdom rate? Confidential rating: 9/10

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Totally unrelated but topical- Out for ameal last night , sat across the oom was one of the Gallagers Noel or Liam I know not, anyway the waiter delivered soup tothe table whereupon an almighty fight broke out, after a while, once all had settled down I asked the waiter what the trouble was, dont Know he said all i asked was "Dya wanna roll with it"!!